Wild: Marco Scandella taking new, improved game home to Montreal

Defenseman Marco Scandella has become a mainstay on the Wild blue line. (AP file photo/Jim Mone)

Marco Scandella is prepared for an expensive trip home.

Scandella grew up in Montreal, seven minutes from the Canadiens' arena, the Bell Centre. And as he prepares for his second game in Montreal as a professional Tuesday night, he's still trying to accommodate all the ticket requests from friends and family members.

As of Monday, the 23-year-old defenseman estimated he was buying about 15 tickets -- no small feat in Montreal, where the cost of cheap seats tops $100. And those are just the ones he's paying for. A few days ago, Scandella received a message from some of his old teachers saying they had purchased tickets specifically to watch him.

"It's just cool to hear that," Scandella said.

He's coming home at a good time.

Following a season in which he played just six regular- season games with the Wild, Scandella, with 107 NHL games under his belt in his fledgling career, has become a mainstay on the blue line this fall and developed into a bona fide top-4 defenseman.

To allow Mathew Dumba to get ice time, the Wild made Scandella a healthy scratch for their Oct. 14 game in Buffalo. Since then, his play has forced the team to keep him in the lineup.

His numbers -- he's a plus-9 with four assists -- show he's been a big reason for the Wild's 10-1-1 record since Oct. 22.

"He's a great story for us right now: a young kid playing that well," Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "And he's not playing like a young kid. He's playing a very mature, very confident game.

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The change in his game is welcomed -- but not a surprise to Yeo. He's seen it happen before. Yeo said Scandella is at the place in his career where defensemen often lift their games to the next level.

They begin to settle down on the ice and know what to do with the puck. And they find a level of consistency, which has been Scandella's problem in the past.

At 6 feet 3, 207 pounds, he has size, and he's an excellent skater. But he struggled to put it all together until this season.

Marco Scandella

He's much improved over the youngster who played in Montreal as a pro for the first time on March 1, 2012.

"Yeah, definitely," Yeo said. "We've seen a lot of good moments from him (the past couple of seasons). But as far as the consistency from his game and doing it night in and night out, shift after shift, this is by far the best (he's played)."

The turnaround started in the Wild's first-round playoff loss to the Chicago Blackhawks last season. Scandella played in all five playoff games and held his own against the eventual Stanley Cup champions.

His play earned him a new contract -- the first one-way deal of his career, meaning he can't be sent to the minor leagues without being put on waivers.

That security is what some, including veteran defenseman Ryan Suter, think led to the improvement in Scandella's game. He no longer is afraid of being sent down because of one bad game.

"It's the confidence," Suter said. "When you're up and down, it's tough to get confidence going. So for him to be here full time, mentally you don't have to worry about, 'OK, what if I make a mistake here?' and it allows you to just go play."

Goalie Josh Harding said Scandella is "one of our best defensemen," a statement that would have been unthinkable two months ago for a team with Suter, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Keith Ballard.

While confidence and experience have helped, Scandella attributes much of his recent success to a new focus on studying video.

New Jersey Devils goalie Cory Schneider deflects a shot as Minnesota Wild defenseman Marco Scandella (6) watches during the first period of a Nov. 3 game at Excel Energy Center. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

"I'm watching a lot more than I used to," he said. "I know I have a long stick and I'm a good skater, so I have those assets to help me out. So I'm just working with the coaches on being in a good position. And watching a guy like Suter, who is rarely, rarely out of position."

And, of course, there's that new contract, which is a couple thousand dollars lighter this week to allow friends and family members see him play in Montreal.

"It's going to be an expensive trip," Scandella said. "But this is the last time. Next time it's just the parents."